Monthly Archive

Recovering from surgery….+ thoughts about YOUR dental treatments, part 1 of 3

August 29, 2012

Last Friday, I had five hours of oral surgery under general anaesthesia. I had my two root-canal teeth removed. I had read multiple books and papers on toxic dental practices, and had become convinced that root canals are UNIVERSALLY a terrible idea. I’d learned that the research of Weston A. Price, possibly the most well published dentist in history, showed that trapping fossilized dead teeth in the mouth causes the bacteria in the miles of dentin tubules to morph into some of the deadliest thioether organisms on the planet, and range the body, causing deadly auto-immune conditions and cancer.

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I’m an information and research junkie and consume a lot of info in a short period of time. About the time I discovered how root canals (not to mention mercury in amalgam fillings) are contributing to disease epidemics, I developed a blister on the outside of one of my root-canal teeth. The gums were a little sensitive.

And I just had this sense that my immune system was straining. I don’t know how to describe it, exactly. I still looked and felt healthy, still running and playing tennis and working long hours and traveling with intense schedules, without incident.

But I’ve become pretty attuned to minor phenomena in my body, in my quest to be as healthy as I can be. And I FELT that my immune system was under assault. Was I impressionistic because of everything I’d read? Maybe. I don’t have anything more compelling than the fact that I just felt like my immune system was revving, and maxed. That, and I had these weird rashes for a couple of months. Arms, legs, stomach.

It’s not easy to get in with Dr. Wall. He does a lot of meticulous research and planning before a major procedures, and I had to go for a few hours for many diagnostic procedures. Then my $7,000 day in his office included 14 procedures, including bone cavitation, putting a fibrin plug/clot of my own blood rich in adult stem cells in the wound, to help heal and to help bone fill in. Plus a bone graft for the zirconium implant I will get for the tooth in front, in six months.

(You can see that the front one of the two extracted teeth is missing only if I laugh really big. The two extracted were at the back, on the top.)

I planned to be down-and-out for a couple of days. In fact, the Friday of my procedure, I had to make a tough decision. My undefeated tennis team had gone to the State playoffs and won. I had to miss sectionals, against 5 other Western states’ top teams, to have my surgery. I didn’t want to cancel and wait two more months.

About Robyn

Robyn Openshaw is the author or editor of 14 titles, including the bestselling book The Green Smoothies Diet, the children's book, The Adventures of Junk Food Dude, and the course 12 Steps to Whole Foods. She’s passionate about overthrowing the Standard American Diet by teaching people to eat more whole foods easily, inexpensively, and deliciously. She’s the mom of 4 competitive athletes as well as a runner, cyclist, skier, and competitive tennis player. She travels all over the world speaking to sold-out audiences and studying non-toxic cancer treatment for her next project.

I know this post is from long ago and you have written a lot about the root canals.
Here is smth on the alternatives for the root canal treatment.
Has anybody ever heard of depot-phoresis root canal treatment, which is cupric-calcium hydroxide endodontic treatment?
I live in USA for 12 years and never heard it mentioned here by the dentists.
I believe it originated in Germany more than a decade ago?
I am not sure how it works exactly. I did receive the treatment once in Russia. I had to come to the dentist several times (maybe 7?) to get my root canals sterilized with the help of some device. They said this way they were able to reach down to those multiple tiny branches, where nothing else can get to. I believe this treatment is different from what the US dentists do. My dentists in Russia is still proud of this tooth, they did an X-ray 12 years later and everything is fine there. I realize everything about the trapped infections and bacteria etc. were discussing here, but thought maybe this depot-phoresis might be a more healthy approach to root canal fillings (if implants is not an option).

Robyn,
thank you so much for posting this!!!!! I am going through the same thing and I didn’t know zirconium implants was even an option. They all seem to know titanium only! My oral surgery is next week. I will read all of your antimicrobial protocol very carefully and get what you recommend! Love you and follow you all the time!

if there is anyway I can contact you for more information, I would so appreciate it.

I am having yet another surgery on Feb. 5, 2014 on an area with a dental implant problem that started 31 years ago, with the implant. I was ill for 16 years, then finally they decided it was not lupus, not rheumatoid arthritis, not fibromyalgia … but from the implant, which was taken out 15 years ago.
And the problems continue …

I need extensive info on oils to use, dentists, etc. This article is so helpful, but I am seeking more info and support.

Hi Robyn, Theresa here from Miami.. I was just wondering how long you had your 2 root canal teeth before you pulled them? And I would love to here an update how your feeling now since having them pulled. I believe I read all your posts on your dental journey, but I don’t remember if you ever mentioned how long you had them for. I have 4 myself and I’m only 30, have some health issues that I think I have done everything to get better but still sick. This is the road I am going to take now.. removing my root canal teeth so all your posts on this subject are greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

Theresa, I had one root canal for 10 years, and the other for 2 years. Both had failed. Since then, I’ve been on an 18 month journey to implants, and it has been long, and expensive, and not fun. I’m still IN IT, so nothing to say but….I’ll let you know later, I guess. Three implants, one failed, bone grafts, and the two successful ones will have crowns in a month, finally. The failed one at least 8 months behind it. Some biological dentists feel implants of ANY kind invite auto-immune problems (due to those pleomorphic organisms). So, pick your poison? Failed canals are, to me, the clearest thing to avoid. I’m going to be doing some other research in the next year.

Hi Robyn. Yours is a decision that I must make soon. I am having a root canal pulled in three weeks followed by an immediate placement of a zirconia implant. I am not without my fears of the implant itself. May I ask what the cause of failure was? And how has healing been? Thank you for sharing your research.

The contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Robyn Openshaw. Nothing herein is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This website is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Robyn and should not be construed as medical advice. Robyn encourages you to make your own health and nutrition decisions based upon your research and in partnership with your own qualified professionals.

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